Winter is a time when more people end up in doctors’ offices and hospitals complaining of illness. Although it might seem like the cold weather is to blame, it’s actually because people spend more time indoors with one another, giving bacteria and viruses the perfect opportunity to spread. These are some of the most common seasonal illnesses in the winter that you should be on the lookout for!

Common Cold

The common cold is something that affects most adults 1-3 times per year. The common cold is caused by bacteria. Luckily, our bodies are able to fight off the common cold in 3-5 days in most cases.

You might be left with a runny nose for up to a week, but otherwise you should be able to get back to your normal routine. There is no vaccine to prevent the cold, but proper hand washing is very helpful at reducing the spread of the illness.

Influenza

The flu is a virus that causes many hospitalizations, and even some deaths, each year. Influenza presents similar symptoms to a cold, but they’re also often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and a fever. The flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu and everyone older than 6 months of age should get vaccinated each year.

Bronchitis

Bronchitis is an illness that’s caused by irritation of your bronchial tubes. Bronchitis most often occurs after someone has battled an upper respiratory infection, such as the common cold. Some bronchitis cases clear on their own, while others require antibiotics.

Strep Throat

Strep throat is an infection in your throat that causes soreness, red or white patches, and difficulty swallowing. Strep throat is most common in children, but it can affect adults too. Strep throat is highly contagious and requires antibiotic treatment.

How Urgent Care Can Help

Rather you’re already suffering from one for these wintertime conditions and need medical care, or if you’re looking to prevent the, urgent care is the place to go! Urgent care centers have flu shots on hand from early fall into late winter.

They also have all the tools needed to examine, test, and diagnose for each of these conditions and more! It’s important to know where to go to get treatment when you need it.

Try to become familiar with your local urgent care center while you’re healthy, that way when a wintertime illness strikes, you can get the same day, affordable care that you need!